Game apparatus.



F. A. COOKE.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25. 1915.

L1L%. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

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I A a M I w s3 'c' WITNESSES: INVENTOR Fred A. Cooke COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c,

lUhlFli ED %TATE@ @FFlfiE FRED A. 0001112, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR or ONE-FOURTH To MELLEN L.

' STIGKNEY, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTGN.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed January 25, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED A. CooKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in games or puzzles and has for its object the provision of a game-board having a series of grooves or tracks formed therein for the accommodation of a plurality of balls which are adapted to be manipulated about said grooves according to various predetermined arbitraryrules, affording opportunity for the exercise ofskill and dexterity either in competition with others, as in a game, or in solitaire.

A further object of the invention is the adaptation of a game-board having the physical characteristics of a baseball field, in combination with a plurality of balls representing players whereby an interesting, attractive and lnstructlve game may be enjoyed.

The invention consists 1n the novel construction, adaptation and combination of a game-board, the balls provided therefor, to-

gether with devices for maintaining said balls in operative and visible condition, as will be fully described in the following specification illustrated in the accompany ing drawings, and finally set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a game-board embodying my invention illustrated with the balls repre senting players associated therewith. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through dotted line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, the reference numeral 4 designates the bottom of a containing case of rectangular or other suitable shape. p

66 indicate the opposite side walls of said case, 5 the rear end wall, and 78 the opposite front end wall.

Slidable in grooves in said side wall 6 is a glass or other transparent plate 10 which is fixedly connected to the portion 8 of the front end wall and which is removable with saidplate and provides facilities for readily removing and replacing thesame in operative position relative to the case.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 4,137.

11 indicates the game-board proper consisting in a sheet of metal or other suitable material secured along its outer marginal edges in the fixed side and end walls of said case in spaced parallel relation between the bottom 41 and plate 10.

Arranged symmetrically in the upper surface of said board is formed a continuous channel 14 of quadri-lateral configuration,

which represents the path between the bases in a baseball diamond, and commonly termed the diamond. Said channels are arranged obliquely with respect to the longi- '7 tudinal axis of the caseand at the angles formed at the intersections of the channels forming the sides of said diamond, are arranged the bases, as ordinarily; the base the home plate designated by the reference character H; the first base to the right-hand of the home plate is indicated by the character 3 the second base, being that directly nearest the forward end of the case being opposite the home plate, being indicated by I B and the third base, to the left-hand of the home plate, being indicated by B Such bases are constituted by relatively slight circular depressions below the plane of the bottoms of said channels.

Branching from the home plate in approximately the longitudinal axis of the case, is a groove 15 of less width and depth than the adjacent said channels, terminating in a depressed circular pocket indicated bythe reference character C, denoting the position of the catcher; extending in diametrically opposite directions from said groove 15 1s a similar groove 16 terminating in a depression P, denoting the position of the a pitcher; extending from said depression 13 in diametrically opposite directions trans versely to said longitudinal axis of the case are similar grooves 18 and 18 terminating at their outer extremities in depressions S;

longitudinal axis are similar grooves 21 and 21 terminating at their outer ends in deployed to represent the opposing sides or the player-men, the balls 17 being of relatively large size adapted to fit within and roll readily in the relatively Wide channels 14: and may be termed the hitters or runners. The balls 19, denoting the playermen of the opposing side, or fielders, are or" smaller diameter than the balls17 'andare adapted torollrea'dily in all the grooves as well as the channels 14. The balls 17 being of greater diameter thanftherespective grooves, will not readily roll in the smaller grooves from their normal path, the channel 14. The plate 10 and the board .11 are desirably spaced apart for afdistance suflicient to allow the bjalls to (1 011 freely within the grooves and channels, but are sufiiciently close to prevent-the balls from rolling out of said grooves or channels; that isto say, the uppermost extremityof the balls is a lesser distance from the lower surface of plate 10 than thedepth of the groove or channel.

Whenthe game is to commence, the plate 10 is slidably removed frorn'the case and the balls 19am placed in their desired positions within the depressions or pockets at the termination of the respective grooves, and a larger ball 17 positioned-at the depression H, denoting the home plate.

' With the balls set in the positions or depressions heretofore described, the case is manipulated by tilting in. any direction to cause 'a larger ball, as 17, originally positioned at the home plate H, to roll along the first right-hand channel 14: toward the depression B and thence about the circuit of the channel 14 back to said home plate H ,vvithout being touched by or colliding with any of the smaller balls 19.

' It will beseen that the smaller balls may run readily in the channels 14:, whereas the larger balls 17 cannot readily be directed out of the circuit of the channels 14 into any of the grooves branching therefromf A game may readily be played upon the board by having a system of points for plays made and'the'board being used alternately by the opposing sides, whomanipulate the board to cause the larger ball '17 to course about the circuit of the channelsfll and score accordingly. i

w The game requires considerable. skill and dexterity to play successfully and is very instructive andentertaining, particularly as itfollows by relatively close analogy the plan and practice of a baseball game.

The rules and penalties of the game may be of great variety and will not be further described here, excepting to say that in the use of the board as a puzzle or solitaire game, the number of balls and their positions may be increased or diminished as the skill of the player will justify.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is

1. Game apparatus consisting in a board formed with a continuous groove or channel of quadrilateral configuration, and a plurality of grooves of smaller depth and width than said first named groove, connected with and branching from said first named groove, and a pluralityof balls arranged to be rolled about said grooves.

.2. Game apparatus consisting in a board formed with a continuous grooveor channel of quadrilateral configuration, anda plurality o'fgroovesof smallerdepth and width than said'ffirst named groove connected with and branching from said first named groove, depressions formed belo w the plane of said first named groove at the intersections of said quadrilateral sides, and other depressions formed in the extremities of said second named grooves farthest remote from their connection. with the second named grooves anda plurality of balls arranged to be ,rolled about said grooves.

Game apparatus consisting in a board formed "with a plurality of depressions spaced at relative distances to represent the stations of the players upon a baseball field, certain of said depressions positioned at the intersections of four straight lines forming a quadrilateral figure having greater depth than the remainder of said depressions, and a plurality of groovesconnecting said dcpressions, the grooves connecting said deeper depressions having correspondingly greater depth than the remainder of said grooves said grooves, respectively.

4. Game apparatus consistin in a casing provided with a transparent p ate forming its upper horizontal wall, a board in parallel with and spaced from i said plate formed with a continuous groove .or channel of and ballsof suitable.sizesarrangedto roll in quadrilateral configuration, a plurality of grooves of'smaller depth and width than said continuous groove connected with and branching'from sai'dcontinuous groove, balls arranged to roll in said grooves when the board is inclined, the spacing between the board and said plate preventing the displacement of the balls from said grooves.

5. Game apparatus consisting in, a board formed with a continuous groove or channel, a plurality of smaller grooves connected with's aid first namedgroove, and a plurality of balls arranged to be rolled about said grooves.

6. Game apparatus consisting in a board formed with a continuous groove or channel, a ball adapted to roll in said groove, a plurality of smaller grooves connected with said first named groove, and a plurality of smaller balls arranged to roll in said last named grooves.

7. Game apparatus consisting in a board formed with a continuous groove or channel, a plurality of smaller grooves connected with said first named groove, said grooves having spaced depressions formed below the plane of said first named groove, and a plurality of balls arranged to be rolled about said grooves.

8. Game apparatus consisting in a board formed with a continuous groove or channel of quadrilateral configuration, a depression in said groove at the intersection of each pair of adjoining ends of said groove, a ball adapted to travel in said groove when the board is inclined, a plurality of smaller grooves connecting with said first named groove and each formed with a depression at its extremity remote from said first named groove, and a plurality of balls adapted to travel in said last named grooves.

Signed at Seattle, Wash, this 15th day of January, 1915.

FRED A. COOKE.

Witnesses:

HORACE BARNES, M. L. STIOKNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

